New Minister

(HE JUNCHANG)

Han Changfu, former governor of northeast China's Jilin Province, was appointed minister of agriculture at a plenary session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, on December 26. He replaced Sun Zhengcai, who was named secretary of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China in November 2009.

Han, 55, was vice minister of agriculture from August 2001 to May 2003 and deputy director of the Research Office of the State Council from May 2003 to December 2006. Since December 2006, he had served as acting governor and governor of Jilin, an agricultural province.

Han is known for his extensive studies of China's rural affairs. He suggested that the principles of "more support, less burden and greater freedom for farmers" hold the key to revive China's countryside.